Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Michael Brown is a pioneering roboticist whose work focuses on developing novel mobility systems for extreme planetary terrains, particularly for lunar exploration. His major contribution is the creation of the WORMS (Walking Oligomeric Robotic Mobility System) platform—a field-reconfigurable walking robot designed to tackle the most challenging environments on the Moon, such as permanently shadowed regions, lava tubes, and steep crater walls. This innovative approach, which eschews traditional wheeled designs, was developed in response to the 2022 NASA BIG Idea Challenge, which sought breakthrough technologies for the Artemis program. Brown’s work has already garnered attention, with his 2023 paper on WORMS accumulating 10 citations and his 2022 paper earning 4 citations, signaling growing interest from the space robotics community. By enabling modular, adaptable robots that can be tailored to specific mission needs, Brown is helping to lay the groundwork for sustainable lunar infrastructure and human exploration. His research stands at the intersection of robotics, extreme environment engineering, and space exploration, offering a compelling vision for how reconfigurable machines can unlock access to the Moon’s most inaccessible frontiers.